How to Love a Monster
by Shukketsu-Sakura
Summary: [substitute to Gaara vs. Naruto in forest ep.] a deadly encounter with the sandman turns into a discovery of one troubled soul's true personality. [GaaSaku]


--Don't own.--

How to Love a Monster

Sasuke - can't move because of his curse-mark.

Sakura - pinned to a tree by a large sand hand.

Naruto - fighting for the lives of his friends and himself.

Mistake - his opponent is Gaara.

"Come on, Uzumaki, TEAR ME APART!"

Another sand appendage came soaring at Naruto. He instinctively blocked his face with his arms, getting his back smashed into a tree nearby Sasuke when he was sent flying.

"TRY ME!!!" Gaara was flinging Naruto about like a four-year old and a dog toy…while playing with its dog.

"Naruto…save Sakura…get out of here…" Sasuke mumbled to him with what little strength he had left. Naruto was scared out of his mind, and stood there, not even paying attention to Sasuke's warning. He stared at a partly-transformed Gaara; the right half of his mouth drooling hungrily.

"Is Uchiha going to help too? I wouldn't mind killing more than you and this girl!" His sand arm clenched tighter around Sakura's already crushed form, and she let out an ear-piercing scream as her bones were further compressed between the tree and the strong sand limb.

"No, don't! Please!" Naruto reached out to Sakura from where he was standing, begging for his best friend's life.

"Why? WHY DO YOU CARE SO BADLY?!?!?" Gaara asked him while picking Sakura up away from the tree, still holding her in his sand arm.

"Because she's my friend, that's why!" Naruto shouted at him; tears began to silently stream down his dirty face, leaving cleaner trails on his cheeks.

Gaara brought Sakura to his face, and looked at the unconscious cherry-blossom. "Then I'm guessing this would bother you," He stuck out his elongated tongue and licked her right cheek, lingering just so that it would bother him more. Gaara smiled maliciously at Naruto, and he was fuming from what he had just done to his sweetheart.

Naruto was mad…really, REALLY mad…but scared for her life and his own. "Please, don't hurt Sakura; she never did anything to you."

"She stepped in front of my prey. This woman will die!" Gaara retorted and prepared to break every bone in Sakura's body.

"Please! I LOVE HER!! **PLEASE!!!!**" Naruto pleaded.

Gaara whipped his head towards the orange-clad ninja, who was on his knees and crying. "L…love?"

(_Deep in my heart, I hate you, Gaara._)

He released Sakura, Naruto seeing this and jumping to catch her and stand by Sasuke.

(_It was part of her curse that you should survive and grow._)

The sand flowed from his body and emptied back into his gourd; he fell to his knees.

(_You were never loved, Gaara._)

He held his head with both hands, and was shaking violently.

_(NEVER.)_

"Yashamaru…YASHAMARU!!!!!!" He screamed into the forest. "WHY WOULDN'T YOU LOVE ME?!?!" He dragged his hands down his face, which was flooded by tears. "IT WASN'T MY FAULT! **MOTHER!!!!!!**" He dropped his hands away from his face and clenched his hands to fists, sand was swirling furiously around him, and he stood. "**I WANT LOVE TOO!!!!!!!!**" He broke down, and the sand stopped. "Why…did you…steal away my love? W-why?" He was on his knees, and shaking again. He began to cry.

"Huh? N-naruto…?" Sakura was awake, and looking into his large blue eyes. "What happened?"

"Its okay, Sakura, Gaara was freaking out, but he's done now-"

"Naruto, look," She pointed at the quivering Gaara. "He's…he's crying!"

"Wha…?!" Naruto watched as Gaara shook and sobbed. He jerked about four times, and then started quaking again. "He is…he's really crying."

"I've never seen something so…out of the ordinary before." Sakura stood, and walked slowly toward Gaara's shuddering form.

"Sakura, no!" Naruto was tending to an insensible Sasuke, and trying to get Sakura away from the murderous being.

Sakura paid no mind, and kept walking cautiously toward Gaara. She came upon him, and his head shot up. He looked at her through watery, sad eyes, and flinched. "No, stay back!" He was shuffling backward, and his sand was beginning to surround him again. "Don't touch me!!"

"Gaara-"

"NO! I-I'll kill you! Get away!" He stopped and looked over his shoulder; he was going to fall off of this branch if he kept going. He looked back in the direction of Sakura, and she was within the barrier of sand around him. "I said GET AWAY!!" He said in an angry voice, the tears completely dissipated from his eyes. He shot his arm out and once again strapped her to a tree with sand. She shouted in pain, and her head hung limply.

He walked over to his captive, Naruto picking up Sasuke and transporting him to the safety of the forest floor. Gaara got in Sakura's face. "I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY! WHY DIDN'T YOU **LISTEN?!**" He grabbed her hair and jerked her head back to where he could see her face. "**HUH?!?!?!?!**"

She started to whimper. "I...just…"

"**JUST WHAT?!**"

"Want you…happy…" She opened her eyes and tears came running out. He looked at her wide eyed. _'Happy…?'_

(_What have I done?_)

He looked at where she was pinned; blood was gushing from under the sand, and flowing onto the tree branch to drip to the grasses below.

(_What am I?!_)

He slowly let the sand fall from her body and when she fell, he caught her in his arms. "I…I didn't mean…" He was thinking back to when he cared…before he knew he wasn't supposed to. "Did I…really do this?" He set her down carefully and took off his white scarf-like wrap he wore. He wrapped it around the gash in her side, and lifted her again. She was unconscious. He jumped down off of the tree and began walking, a trail of sand flowing into his gourd, and a lifeless Sakura cradled in his arms.

"Hey, where do you think you're going with her?!" Naruto inquired angrily.

"To repent…she has made me realize my sins…" He kept walking, in the direction of the desert. _'I need love, Sakura…can you give it to me…? Can you help me? To help me realize…what I need to help myself…is a miracle _in_ itself…' _He shed a single lustrous tear; it slid down his stern porcelain face…no emotion revealed. A single tear for his miracle…the one in his arms right now…

Sakura awoke, unbeknownst to Gaara. She almost flinched, but when she saw an emotion in his normally dead eyes…she waited. She wondered. What did he mean to do with her? He seemed to have temporarily bandaged her wound. _'He's been turned into a monster, but I guess even monsters don't forget how to love…'_

--Inspired by_ Wake Me Up When September Ends __**Green Day**_

--Last thought is a quote from _Insomnia_ **Stephen King**

--R&R please.--


End file.
